Zimbabwe's government jumped in to referee the Chewore Safari Lodge mess after the Supreme Court torched the operator's lease.
The Environment Ministry said it's sitting down with everyone caught up in this drama, trying to hash out some kind of peace deal. The Supreme Court backed a High Court ruling that nuked the 2010 lease agreement and told the current operator to bounce by June. Justices George Chiweshe, Chinembiri Bhunu, and Joseph Musakwa delivered the judgment that basically ended the legal fight.
Terry Kelly's been running the fishing and tourism spot in the Zambezi Valley through Suscaden Investments, partnered with ZimParks, but the lease's been getting challenged for years. The courts found the 25-year deal was busted from day one because it never got the mandatory ministerial signoff required under Section 37 of the Parks and Wildlife Management Act.
The legal brawl put Suscaden against ZimParks, the Environment Ministry, and rival outfit Big Five Safaris. The whole argument centered on whether the lease actually followed the statutory rules for safari area agreements. Suscaden claimed they had the minister's signature, but ZimParks and the ministry said that the approval was fake.
Justice Tawanda Chitapi's March ruling at the High Court already declared the lease void and ordered Suscaden out. The Supreme Court just confirmed that decision when it tossed the appeal.
The ministry said talks with Suscaden, Big Five, and ZimParks have been productive, with everyone supposedly committed to wrapping this up fast in a way that's fair and legal. Officials stressed that stepping in doesn't mean disrespecting the courts, especially since investor confidence in tourism and conservation is on the line. The government reminded people that Zimbabwe is still open for business and that protecting investments remains a priority.
The Environment Ministry said it's sitting down with everyone caught up in this drama, trying to hash out some kind of peace deal. The Supreme Court backed a High Court ruling that nuked the 2010 lease agreement and told the current operator to bounce by June. Justices George Chiweshe, Chinembiri Bhunu, and Joseph Musakwa delivered the judgment that basically ended the legal fight.
Terry Kelly's been running the fishing and tourism spot in the Zambezi Valley through Suscaden Investments, partnered with ZimParks, but the lease's been getting challenged for years. The courts found the 25-year deal was busted from day one because it never got the mandatory ministerial signoff required under Section 37 of the Parks and Wildlife Management Act.
The legal brawl put Suscaden against ZimParks, the Environment Ministry, and rival outfit Big Five Safaris. The whole argument centered on whether the lease actually followed the statutory rules for safari area agreements. Suscaden claimed they had the minister's signature, but ZimParks and the ministry said that the approval was fake.
Justice Tawanda Chitapi's March ruling at the High Court already declared the lease void and ordered Suscaden out. The Supreme Court just confirmed that decision when it tossed the appeal.
The ministry said talks with Suscaden, Big Five, and ZimParks have been productive, with everyone supposedly committed to wrapping this up fast in a way that's fair and legal. Officials stressed that stepping in doesn't mean disrespecting the courts, especially since investor confidence in tourism and conservation is on the line. The government reminded people that Zimbabwe is still open for business and that protecting investments remains a priority.
